August's full moon
Sturgeon Moon 2027
The Sturgeon Moon is August's full moon. In 2027 it is full on Tuesday, 17 August 2027, 07:29 UTC. It is named for the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes, most easily caught in late summer.
Sturgeon Moon meaning
The giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most easily caught in late summer, and the fishing peoples of the region named August's full moon for them. Several of the year's supermoons fall in late summer, so the Sturgeon Moon is often one of the biggest and brightest.
Also called: Grain Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn Moon. The names come from the seasonal calendars of Native American, Colonial American and European tradition, as collected in the Old Farmer's Almanac; each one marks what was happening on the land in that month.
When is the Sturgeon Moon?
- 2026Friday, 28 August 2026, 04:19 UTCEvery phase in August 2026
- 2027Tuesday, 17 August 2027, 07:29 UTCEvery phase in August 2027
- 2028Saturday, 5 August 2028, 08:10 UTCEvery phase in August 2028
- 2029Friday, 24 August 2029, 01:51 UTCEvery phase in August 2029
Times are UTC; your local time is shown in the opening line. A full moon is an instant, but the Moon looks full to the eye the night before and the night after as well.
Best time to see the Sturgeon Moon
Go out at moonrise on the evening of Tue 17 Aug: look east just after sunset, when the Moon sits on the horizon, looks largest, and takes on its warmest colour. Check whether this year's Sturgeon Moon is a supermoon — a full moon near perigee, up to 14% wider and a third brighter than the smallest full moon of the year.
Tonight's moonrise time for your location is on the live moon page.